CHAPTER 182

CHAPTER 182


Reika's POV

“I think we should send a letter to Kael,” Archer suggested after a long moment of silence between us.

“A letter?” My voice was husky from all the crying I had done all day long.

At this juncture, my appearance and powers were the least of my worries. I was worried about how useless I had become without them. I was sick with worry about Daisy, Ray, and their little one.

Archer nodded. “A letter to buy more time.”

“More time to do what exactly?” My voice was filled with anger, which I couldn't help but direct more at myself. “If we are given all the time in the world, you know there is nothing that can be done. I'm practically useless now.”

“You are not useless!” He snapped. “Stop saying such demeaning words about yourself.”

“I'm useless,” I repeated firmly now, like it had become a new identity. “The earlier everyone accepts that, the better. If I'm not useless, then I should be trying to save our family, but here I am, sulking like a pathetic loser.”

Archer parted his lips as if to argue, but then closed them back when he realized that arguing was of no use at all.

He sighed and continued with his initial discussion. “I want us to send a letter to him to tell him that we need more time to carry out his orders. I know he might not agree, but then… we can't just sit back and do nothing. And again, if he agrees, we might not be able to carry out his orders, but we can at least get time to think. And just maybe… we would be able to save our family.”

Archer's suggestion wasn't the best thing to do, but at least he was trying to figure things out. As for me, my mind was as empty as fuck. It almost felt like Ileus' wolf had equally suppressed my ability to think clearly.

“I understand,” I murmured. “Let's do that.”

“Alright then.” Archer stood and reached into the drawer, where he retrieved a parchment paper and a pen. He extended them to me. “Have it.”

My weak hands reached out to take them from him.

“How many days should I ask for?”

His face crumpled as he contemplated hard. “A week is fine.”

“A week?” My eyes widened. “You know that bastard will not grant us a week. Let's just ask for a few days,” I panicked.

“Calm down, Reika,” he placed a steady hand on my shoulder. “We might be desperate, but you should also know that Kael needs us too. His kingdom would suffer if Ileus attacked it, so if he can get the assurance that Ileus would be taken down in a week, he will definitely comply. All you need to do is give him a believable assurance.”

I nodded. “You're right.”

Placing the parchment paper on the wooden bedside stand, I critically thought of the right and most convincing words to use before I began writing.

“Hello, King Kael. I'm writing this letter to let you know that Ileus' death has already been finalized. All I need to do is execute it. But then, Ileus has been so busy with the war plans recently that he hasn't invited me over to his chambers in a long time. But I'm sure he would invite me over soon because he would need me to relieve his stress. Once he does, I will assassinate him.”

“So, I'm asking for a week to complete the mission. In that one week, you are to keep my family safe and they mustn't be mistreated. If they are, I will abort the mission and you know what that means, right?”

I sighed, a small sad smile tugging at the corners of my lips as I read the letter again. I felt so proud of myself because of the manipulative hints I had added to it. Kael would have no choice but to comply. It felt like the most noble thing I had done in a while.

I handed it over to Archer.

“I will send it before sunrise tomorrow. It should get there before noon.”

“Be careful.”

“Alright.” He tucked it inside his uniform. “I wish I could be with you tonight, but I'm on the night shift too. I know you won't be able to sleep, but I hope that instead of worrying, you will start thinking of a way out.”

“I will be fine, Archer,” I said just so he would be at ease.

“You sure?” He clearly didn't believe me.

“Yes. Trust me.”

He patted my back reassuringly before walking out of the room.

I breathed heavily before lying on the bed and pulling the duvet over myself. I couldn't sleep… I didn't even try to. I just stared at the ceiling as the Seer's words echoed through my mind once more.

“Meant to be a Queen, my foot,” I murmured, turning to my side.

But my body was weak and would never understand that my heart was bleeding with fear and anxiety, so eventually, I fell asleep.

—————

“I told him you are still sick,” Archer murmured when he stepped back into the room, clicking the door shut behind him. “This is the second time I'm telling him that he can't see you… do you think he will believe me if I say it a third time?”

I sighed.

Ileus had been coming to my chambers for the past two days, but I had been turning him away with the excuse of being sick and honestly, I didn't know for how long I could keep that up.

He even sent the royal physician over, but I had to beg the aged man to tell him that he couldn't find anything wrong with me.

I made sure to avoid the guards and maids and honestly… it was becoming very exhausting. I wondered how long I'd be able to keep it up.

“Does it even seem like he believed you when you told him that I was sick?”

“Yes… he seemed really worried about you. He asked if the royal physician came over and I told him that he had treated you but still, there was no improvement in your health. But then, he can't understand why you don't want to see him. He said he is your Alpha and if anyone should be by your side… then it should be him.”

Archer folded his arms and leaned against the door. “If he comes back here again today or tomorrow, I'm not sure you can avoid seeing him.”

“So what should we do now?”

For the first time in a while, Archer was speechless and clueless. He just shook his head.

“I honestly don't know.”

I'm at a crossroads now. I can't leave because of the mission… and I equally can't show myself to him.

What a dilemma.

“How about Kael? Has he responded to our letter?”

“Nothing yet.”

My chest tightened.

This was the first time in a while that he was taking so long to respond to a letter. It was already past the three-day ultimatum that he had initially given. I hoped Daisy and Ray were still very much alive.

Maybe… the reason he wasn't responding was because he had already murdered them.

As if Archer could sense the thought in my mind, he quickly added. “But I'm sure he will respond and I'm sure Ray and Daisy are still very much okay. He won't kill them just like that. No, he won't.”

Archer was right though….

So, I let myself calm down and thoughts of how to handle everything crashed down on me. But no matter how hard I thought… there seemed to be no headway.

At all.